Charles V/l, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Castile and Aragon
Family and early life
Charles was born as the eldest son of Philip The Handsome and Joanna The Mad in the Flemish city of Ghent in the year 1500 (and died in the year 1558) . His spouse was Isabella of Portugal. The culture and courtly life of the Low Countries were an important influence in his early life. It is said that Charles spoke several languages: he was fluent in German, French, and Flemish, later adding an acceptable Spanish which was required by the Castilian Cortes Generales as a condition for becoming King of Castile.
Evolution of his reign
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I as Holy Roman Emperor and his son Philip II as King of Spain in 1556.
He was the heir of three of Europe´s leading dynasties, the House of Habsburg of the Habsburg Monarchy, the House of Valois-Burgundy of the Burgudian Netherlands, and the House of Trastamara of the crowns of Castile and Aragon.
As Charles was the first king to rule Castile, Leon, and Aragon simultaneously in his own right, he became the first King os Spain. In 1519, Charles became Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria. From that point forward, his empire spanned nearly four million square kilometres across Europe, the Far East, and the Americas. Much of Charles´ reign was devoted to the Italian Wars against France which, although enormously expensive, were military successful.
Charles´ debate against the Protestant Reformation
Aside from his military endeavors, Charles is best known for his role in opposing the Protestant Reformation. Several German princes abandoned the Catholic Church and formed the Schmalkaldic League in order to challenge Charles´ authority with military force. Charles pushed for the convocation of the Council of Trent, which began the Counter-Reformation. Spain was finally spared from religious conflict largely by Charles´ non-violent measures.
Spain
Charles arrived in his new kingdom in autumn in the year 1517. His regent Jiménez de Cisneros came to meet him, but fell ill along the way, not without a suspicion of poison, and died before meeting the King.
Due to the irregularity of Charles assuming the royal title while his mother, the legitimate queen, was alive, the negotiations with the Castilian Cortes in Valladolid (1518) proved difficult, and in the end Charles ws accepted under the following conditions: he would learn to speak Castilian; he would not appoint foreigners; he was prohibited from taking precious metals from Castile; and he would respect the rights of his mother, Queen Joanna.
Italy
The Crown of Aragon inherited by Charles included the Kingdom of Naples, the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Aragon also previously controlled the Duchy of Milan, but a year before Charles ascended to the throne, it was annexed byv France after the Battle of Marignano in 1515.
America
During Charles´ reign, the Spanish territories in the Americas were considerably extended by conquistadors like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the large Aztec and Inca empires and incorporated the into the Empire as the Viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru between 1519 and 1542. Combined with Magellan expedition´s circumnavigation of the globe in 1522, these successes convinced Charles of his divine mission to become the leader of Christendom that still perceived a significant threat from Islam. The conquests also helped solidify Charles´ rule by providing the state treasury with enormous amounts of bullion. As the conquistador Bernal Díaz del Castillo observed, "We came to serve God and his Majesty, to give light to those in darkness, and also to acquire that wealth which most men covet.".
Holy Roman Empire
After the death of his paternal grandfather, Maximilian, in 1519, he inherited the Habsburg Monarchy. He was also the natural candidate of the electors to succeed his grandfather as Holy Roman Emperor. He defeated Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, Francis I of France, and Henry VIII of England. The unanimous decision of the electors gave Charles the crown on the 28th of June of 1519.
In 1530 he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII in Bologna, the last emperor to receive a papal coronation.
France
Much of Charles´ reign was taken up by conflicts with France, which found itself encircled by Charles´ empire while it still mantained ambitions in Italy. In the year 1520, Charles visited England, where his aunt, Catherine of Aragon, urged her husband, Henry VIII, to ally himself with the emperor. In the year 1508 Charles was nominated by Henry to the Order of the Garter. His Garter stall plate survives in Saint George´s Chapel.
Charle´s´ retirement
Charles retired in 1556. The Habsburg Monarchy passed to Charles´ younger brother Ferdinand, while the Spanish Empire was inherited by his son Philip II. The two empires would remain allies until the 18th century.
Charles I/V voki
Newspaper: Imaginary interview to Charles
Me: Hello, Charles.
Charles: Hi, how are you?
Me: Quite good! Well, let´s talk about you. When and where were you born?
Charles: I was born in the year 1500 in Ghent, a Flemish city.
Me: Okay. So the culture and the courtly life of the Low Countries have been a big influence during your early life, haven´t they?
Charles: Yes, specially as I wasn´t supposed to have inherited the territories in the Spanish Empire.
Me: Talk me about your family.
Charles: Mmm... my family wasn´t very normal, I advise you. My mother is Joanna of Castile, but she is insane, so that´s the reason why I rule over the Spanish Empire; people call her Joanna The Mad. My father was Philip I. He went to bed with many other women, that´s the reason why people called him Philip The Handsome...
Me: Okay. So, you are very powerful and you have a lot of influence over Europe, isn´t it?
Charles: Yes. I have territories in Spain, Italy, America, the Holy Roman Empire (the German possessions and the House of Burgundy) and territories in France.
Me:Could you speak about one particular part of your territories?
Charles: Well, I will talk about the Holy Roman Empire, which is the place where I come from:
After the death of my paternal grandfather, Maximilian, in 1519, I inherited the Habsburg Monarchy. I defeated Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, Francis I of France, and Henry VIII of England. In 1530 I was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII in Bologna.
Me: Thank you. What can you say about your conflict with France and the Ottoman Turks?
Charles: Oh... France is my main rival for the supremacy of Europe. They are specially interested on my Italian territories; anyway, I am not very worried about them as I win all the battles against them. Talking about the Turks, they are constant threats along the Mediterranean and on the eastern border of the Holy Roman Empire. I don´t know if I am gonna defeat them...
Me: Well, I am sure you will do it. Now, our last question: are you thinking of giving your territories to your son before dying? Or are you going to mantain your position until the end?
Charles: I am thinking of giving my possessions to my future son, if I have one. But I also think that I should divide the territories between him and my brother, but I still don´t know, I am still young. I am only 20 years old.
Here is my voki:
Charles V/l, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Castile and Aragon
Family and early life
Charles was born as the eldest son of Philip The Handsome and Joanna The Mad in the Flemish city of Ghent in the year 1500 (and died in the year 1558) . His spouse was Isabella of Portugal. The culture and courtly life of the Low Countries were an important influence in his early life. It is said that Charles spoke several languages: he was fluent in German, French, and Flemish, later adding an acceptable Spanish which was required by the Castilian Cortes Generales as a condition for becoming King of Castile.
Evolution of his reign
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I as Holy Roman Emperor and his son Philip II as King of Spain in 1556.
He was the heir of three of Europe´s leading dynasties, the House of Habsburg of the Habsburg Monarchy, the House of Valois-Burgundy of the Burgudian Netherlands, and the House of Trastamara of the crowns of Castile and Aragon.
As Charles was the first king to rule Castile, Leon, and Aragon simultaneously in his own right, he became the first King os Spain. In 1519, Charles became Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria. From that point forward, his empire spanned nearly four million square kilometres across Europe, the Far East, and the Americas. Much of Charles´ reign was devoted to the Italian Wars against France which, although enormously expensive, were military successful.
Charles´ debate against the Protestant Reformation
Aside from his military endeavors, Charles is best known for his role in opposing the Protestant Reformation. Several German princes abandoned the Catholic Church and formed the Schmalkaldic League in order to challenge Charles´ authority with military force. Charles pushed for the convocation of the Council of Trent, which began the Counter-Reformation. Spain was finally spared from religious conflict largely by Charles´ non-violent measures.
Spain
Charles arrived in his new kingdom in autumn in the year 1517. His regent Jiménez de Cisneros came to meet him, but fell ill along the way, not without a suspicion of poison, and died before meeting the King.
Due to the irregularity of Charles assuming the royal title while his mother, the legitimate queen, was alive, the negotiations with the Castilian Cortes in Valladolid (1518) proved difficult, and in the end Charles ws accepted under the following conditions: he would learn to speak Castilian; he would not appoint foreigners; he was prohibited from taking precious metals from Castile; and he would respect the rights of his mother, Queen Joanna.
Italy
The Crown of Aragon inherited by Charles included the Kingdom of Naples, the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Aragon also previously controlled the Duchy of Milan, but a year before Charles ascended to the throne, it was annexed byv France after the Battle of Marignano in 1515.
America
During Charles´ reign, the Spanish territories in the Americas were considerably extended by conquistadors like Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the large Aztec and Inca empires and incorporated the into the Empire as the Viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru between 1519 and 1542. Combined with Magellan expedition´s circumnavigation of the globe in 1522, these successes convinced Charles of his divine mission to become the leader of Christendom that still perceived a significant threat from Islam. The conquests also helped solidify Charles´ rule by providing the state treasury with enormous amounts of bullion. As the conquistador Bernal Díaz del Castillo observed, "We came to serve God and his Majesty, to give light to those in darkness, and also to acquire that wealth which most men covet.".
Holy Roman Empire
After the death of his paternal grandfather, Maximilian, in 1519, he inherited the Habsburg Monarchy. He was also the natural candidate of the electors to succeed his grandfather as Holy Roman Emperor. He defeated Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, Francis I of France, and Henry VIII of England. The unanimous decision of the electors gave Charles the crown on the 28th of June of 1519.
In 1530 he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII in Bologna, the last emperor to receive a papal coronation.
France
Much of Charles´ reign was taken up by conflicts with France, which found itself encircled by Charles´ empire while it still mantained ambitions in Italy. In the year 1520, Charles visited England, where his aunt, Catherine of Aragon, urged her husband, Henry VIII, to ally himself with the emperor. In the year 1508 Charles was nominated by Henry to the Order of the Garter. His Garter stall plate survives in Saint George´s Chapel.
Charle´s´ retirement
Charles retired in 1556. The Habsburg Monarchy passed to Charles´ younger brother Ferdinand, while the Spanish Empire was inherited by his son Philip II. The two empires would remain allies until the 18th century.
Charles I/V voki
Newspaper: Imaginary interview to Charles
Me: Hello, Charles.
Charles: Hi, how are you?
Me: Quite good! Well, let´s talk about you. When and where were you born?
Charles: I was born in the year 1500 in Ghent, a Flemish city.
Me: Okay. So the culture and the courtly life of the Low Countries have been a big influence during your early life, haven´t they?
Charles: Yes, specially as I wasn´t supposed to have inherited the territories in the Spanish Empire.
Me: Talk me about your family.
Charles: Mmm... my family wasn´t very normal, I advise you. My mother is Joanna of Castile, but she is insane, so that´s the reason why I rule over the Spanish Empire; people call her Joanna The Mad. My father was Philip I. He went to bed with many other women, that´s the reason why people called him Philip The Handsome...
Me: Okay. So, you are very powerful and you have a lot of influence over Europe, isn´t it?
Charles: Yes. I have territories in Spain, Italy, America, the Holy Roman Empire (the German possessions and the House of Burgundy) and territories in France.
Me:Could you speak about one particular part of your territories?
Charles: Well, I will talk about the Holy Roman Empire, which is the place where I come from:
After the death of my paternal grandfather, Maximilian, in 1519, I inherited the Habsburg Monarchy. I defeated Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, Francis I of France, and Henry VIII of England. In 1530 I was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII in Bologna.
Me: Thank you. What can you say about your conflict with France and the Ottoman Turks?
Charles: Oh... France is my main rival for the supremacy of Europe. They are specially interested on my Italian territories; anyway, I am not very worried about them as I win all the battles against them. Talking about the Turks, they are constant threats along the Mediterranean and on the eastern border of the Holy Roman Empire. I don´t know if I am gonna defeat them...
Me: Well, I am sure you will do it. Now, our last question: are you thinking of giving your territories to your son before dying? Or are you going to mantain your position until the end?
Charles: I am thinking of giving my possessions to my future son, if I have one. But I also think that I should divide the territories between him and my brother, but I still don´t know, I am still young. I am only 20 years old.
Me: Okay. Thank you for your attention.
Charles: You are welcome.
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